User blog:BattleGames1/BattleGame1's Season of War Episode 7 - Vikings vs Mongols
sigh... Guess my creative juices and writing talents are hitting a bit of a roadblock with the fictional stuff so I guess I need to do something to pass the time - so I guess I'll have to do another real-life battle which at least has got me interested (and yeah I know this was put as a battle for a later season but there's nothing wrong in switching things up at least). Last time on the Season of War, it was literally all-out World War III when Task Force 141, Delta Force, the African Militia and Inner Circle of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 duked it out with the USMC, Russian Ground Forces, Iranian Army and People's Liberation and Resistance of Battlefield 3. What a show that was and what an interesting way it ended too (*nudge nudge wink wink*). Now we come back to the real world and find ourselves pitting two of the fiercest conquerors of the Middle Ages from opposite sides of the globe against each other to see which one really rules the Old World. The Vikings of Scandinavia, while they may not have the horns on their helmets, they do have the fierce spirit of the North in their blood; from coast to coast, they wreaked havoc for everyone from the Anglo-Saxons in England to the Holy Roman Empire in Germany vs The Mongols of the Asian steppes, who rode out from their rocky mountain surroundings of northern China into a world that was not prepared for their devious assault on horseback; with such sheer skill and strategy, they carved out one of the largest empires in history stretching from Korea to Poland WHO... IS... DEADLIEST? =Let's Meet the Warriors= The Vikings While originally meaning "sea raider", the term 'Viking'has come to refer to the pagan Norse people of Scandanavia from about the eighth to the eleventh centuries, including present day Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. The Vikings were a warlike, seafaring culture, making frequent raids of Britain, France, and other European countries, and even going as far as Russia and Italy. The Vikings were also known as explorers, traders, and mercenaries. Vikings settled areas including parts of Britain, Normandy, Iceland, Greenland, and even had a brief presence in North America at L'Anse Aux Meadows, Newfoundland. Viking mercenaries were known to work for the Byzantines and Viking traders were known to have traded in markets in the Middle East. For a period of time, the Vikings even conquered and ruled part of Britain, known as the Danelaw, in the 800s and 900s AD. The Mongols The Mongol Empire spanned from Eastern Europe across Asia, and is commonly referred to as the largest contiguous empire in the history of the world. It emerged from the unification of Mongol and Turkic tribes in modern day Mongolia under the leadership of Genghis Khan, who was proclaimed ruler of all Mongols in 1206. Under the Mongols, new technologies, various commodities and ideologies were disseminated and exchanged across Eurasia. The Empire began to split following a succession war in 1260-1264, as there was dispute as to which of Genghis's grandchildren should become the next Great Khan. Kublai Khan declared himself as Great Khan, and he successfully claimed the leadership from his foes. When the native Chinese overthrew the Yuan Dynasty in 1368, the Mongol Empire finally dissolved. =Let's Examine the Weapons= Back-Up Swords Long Seax The seax is a type of sword or dagger typical of the Germanic peoples of the Migration period and the Early Middle Ages, especially the Saxons, whose name derives from the weapon. The blades of a long seax are 20in long, often with multiple fullers and grooves, pattern welded blades, and long hilts similar to broad seaxes. The edge is generally straight, or curved slightly towards the tip. The back either curves gently, or with a sharp angle towards the tip, which is located below the centerline of the blade. Ild The ild is a single-edged slashing sword used by the early Mongolian tribes. The ild had a curved, single-edged blade with a hilt designed for single-handed use. The degree of curvature varied greatly, from almost straight to nearly three-quarters of a circle. It was primarily a slashing weapon, with only slightly curved versions able to be used for thrusting. While effective from foot, its real value came from its use on horseback. Length-wise, the ild was generally 34in and it also weighed 3.5lbs. Swords Viking Sword The term "Viking Sword" actually refers to a style of sword used by many Dark-Age northern European cultures, such as the Saxons, as well as the Vikings. These swords typically have a blade of about eighty centimeters, or a little less, and a triangular, elliptical, or hat-shaped pommel, as well as a crossguard between the blade and the hilt. Turko-Mongol Sabre The Turko-Mongol Saber is a curved sword used by various people of Central Asia, including the Mongols. The weapon features a curved blade designed for making lethal slashing attacks, though it could also be used to thrust. The weapon is about three-four feet long, making it ideal for use on horseback. Polearms/Heavy Weapons Dane Axe and Atgeir Halberd The Dane Axe was a long handled, two handed axe with a handle of at least three feet long, though some could have been up to six feet long. The blade was "horned", with it widening out to width of up to a foot from the much narrower back end of the blade. The blade itself was very thin compared to a woodcutting axe, in order to reduce weight. The Atgeir was a ‘spear-like spear’ - although it is also known as a “mail-piercer” or “hewing-spear” that was used before and through the Viking Age. In English it is described as a kind of “halberd,” but it more likely resembled a bill or glaive. The word ‘atgeir’ is often used to describe some typical European halberds. Additionally, some multipurpose spearheaded staves of the time period are called atgeirsstafir. Beyond description from old records and sagas, there have not been any atgeirs discovered by archaeologists to get a clear picture as to what one was beyond the assumption of it being a spearheaded type of polearm. For the purpose of the match, we will assume the head of the atgeir is the one seen in the picture and that it is as long as an actual Viking spear which is between 20 and 60 cm in length, mounted on long shaft of about two-three meters. Flanged Mace and Glaive The medieval mace consisted of a steel handle with a steel head, often with either flanges to focus the impact of the blow or metal spikes to cause sharp trauma and pierce armor. The mace used by the Mongols however consisted of a flanged head on the end of a long handle. The more intricate the design, the more prestigious the man wielding it would have been. Maces were often used in combat with armored opponents, such as knights, as the mace was capable of delivering blunt force that broke the bones and caused internal trauma under the armor, effectively bypassing the defenses of the armor. The Glaive was a bladed staff weapon. The Glaive consists of a long blade (typically up to 18 inches in length) on top of a wooden shaft about six or eight feet. The blade was fixed to the shaft by means of socket, much like an axe, rather than the tang of the similar Naginata. Often, the blade also had a hook opposite the of cutting edge. The glaive was used both for slashing and stabbing, while the hook has used to pull riders from horseback. Projectiles Viking Spear and Viking Composite Bow and Arrow The Viking spear consisted of an iron head between 20 and 60 cm in length, mounted on long shaft of about two-three meters. The weapon could be used for both thrusting and and throwing, with Viking warriors often carrying multiple spears for throwing. The spear sometimes had a pin holding the head in place, which could be removed before throwing, so the head would fall off on impact, preventing the enemy from throwing the weapon back. The Viking Bow and Arrow was made from yew or ash wood, and used for both hunting and battle. Typically, the opposing sides would fire arrows and throw spears and even rocks at each other, before attacking directly. The arrows used by the Vikings typically had iron heads. The draw force of a 10th-century bow may have reached some 90 pounds force or more, resulting in an effective range of at least 200 metres depending on the weight of the arrow. A unit of length used in the Viking Age called a bow shot corresponded to what was later measured as 227.5 metres. Lasso and Mongol Bow The lasso is made from stiff rope so that the noose stays open when thrown and so that it is easier to open the noose while on horseback. As a weapon that is about 20ft long, the lasso is thrown with the intent of the noose catching around the opponent's neck. If the user is on horseback, sufficient force can cause a hangman's fracture and crush the trachea, although it is more likely that the victim will be strangled or trampled by other horses while being dragged behind the user's horse. The primary weapon of the Mongol forces was their composite bows made from laminated horn, wood, and sinew. The layer of horn is on the inner face as it resists compression, while the layer of sinew is on the outer face as it resists tension. Such bows, with minor variations, had been the main weapon of steppe herdsmen and steppe warriors for over two millennia; Mongols (and many of their subject peoples) were extremely skilled with them. With their bows, the Mongols could shoot their arrows up to 400 metres away, useful for surprising and scaring troops and horses before beginning the actual attack. Armour Viking Shield, Chain Mail, Gambeson and Vendel Helmet The Vikings wore chain mail that were almost certainly the "four-on-one" type, a style of chain mail forging where four solid (punched or riveted) rings are connected by a single riveted ring. Probably worn over thick clothing, a mail shirt protected the wearer from being cut, but offered little protection from blunt trauma and stabbing attacks from a sharp point such as that of a spear. To compensate for this, the Viking warrior would also have worn a gambeson which was a padded defensive jacket constructed of linen or wool. The most common shield used by the Vikings was the round shield usually made of linden wood, are not very dense and are light in the hand. They are also not inclined to split easily since the fibres of the timber bind around blades preventing the blade from cutting any deeper unless a lot more pressure is applied. Vikings also often reinforced their shields with leather or, occasionally, iron around the rim and had a metal boss in the centre. The shield was typically about 75 to 90 centimeters in diameter. The Viking helmet was made of iron from four plates after the spangenhelm pattern. This helmet has a rounded cap, and there is evidence that it also may have had a mail aventail. It has a "spectacle" guard around the eyes and nose which formed a sort of mask. Leather Lamellar, Silk Undershirt, Riding Coat and Riding Cap The basic costume of the Mongol fighting man consisted of a heavy fur coat fastened at the waist by a leather belt. This long robe-like coat would double over, left breast over right, and be secured with a button a few inches below the right armpit. Underneath the coat, a shirt-like undergarment with long, wide sleeves and made with silk and metallic threads was commonly worn. The silk of the undershirt was useful because even if an arrow pierced their mail or leather outer garment, the silk from the undershirt would stretch to wrap itself around the arrow as it entered the body, reducing damage caused by the arrow shaft, and making removal of the arrow easier. Lamellar armor was worn over the thick coat. The armor was composed of small scales of iron, chain mail, or hard leather sewn together with leather tongs and could weigh 10 kilograms (22 lb) if made of leather alone and more if the cuirass was made of metal scales. The Mongol cap was conical in shape and made of quilted leather material with a large turned-up brim, reversible in winter, and earmuffs like the one you see in the picture. Although the Mongols had access to helmets too, it's possible that the cap was used more often to make the warrior more lightweight when fighting (unless someone cares to disagree in the comments). =No edges from me this time so now onto the X-Factors= Table NOTE: Numbers based on ratings made by others (Cfp, Goddess of Despair and SPARTAN119 among others) but adjusted slightly Explanations *Training: Both of these warrior cultures indoctrinate their men into the art of war at a very young age and each having specialised forms of combat such as horseback archery (in the case of the Mongols) and melee combat with weapons such as the Dane Axe (in the case of the Vikings). Furthermore, the evenness can also be attributed to the idea that both warriors trained and were hardened by the environment they were in - the steppes and plains for the Mongols and the icy and wild grasslands, tundra and forests of Northern Europe. *Physicality: As Cfp notes in his evaluation, the Mongols mostly ate protein-heavy foods such as fish, meat from their horses, etc. This gave them great strength allowing them speedily get on their horses and fire off their rain of arrows but reduced their stamina which is why they relied on their horses. The Vikings on the other hand, while also eating protein-heavy foods especially those they scavenged via raiding northern settlements, were capable of handling their weapons one-handed and had more muscle mass owing to their ability to carry their heavy weapons and armour around (especially in the snowy terrains). *Combat Experience: As conquerors and ravagers, these two warrior cultures have been fighting battles over a wide expanse of land and through long periods of time. The Mongols, as you all know, have fought all across Asia from China and Korea to Persia and even went in so far into Europe as Poland cultivating one of the largest empires in the world. The Vikings themselves have gone on their whole pillaging and plundering adventures all throughout Europe even making as far down as Italy and while they did not form an empire, their presence and martial skill throughout Europe was terrifying. *Tactics: Both warriors enjoy unique tactical skills that are similar fundamentally - rush into combat and go for mass casualties if possible before retreating unless the enemy they face happens to be too powerful by their standards... Oh wait, only the Vikings did that, silly! If they happened to come across an enemy that was heavily defended, then they simply retreated faster than their enemies can catch up to them. The Mongols, despite their looks as not-so-heavily fortified people themselves, have managed to master the art of war utilising psychological warfare and hit-and-run tactics to strike their enemies in ways they could not predict. One thing to note is that the Vikings were also good at guerilla warfare and ambushing their opponents when they least expect it. *Militarism: In this instance, the militarism score takes into account the warrior's level of brutality/killer instinct and discipline/loyalty - and dare I say it, both cultures are similar in that, as warlike cultures, violence was part of everyday life to the point where display of it in battle resulted in honour amongst their brethren. Both warrior cultures also emphasised loyalty in their own way - the Vikings through tribal kinship without any central authority figure, the Mongols on the other extreme end with their tightly rigid chain of command. However, what made me give the edge to the Vikings (although you may disagree) has come from those points (and once again thanks to Cfp in his assessment of the Mongols) - after the death of Genghis Khan, the Mongolian army were less loyal to his descendants which suggest to me that their chain of command and succession was not as rigid and disciplined as one might imagine whereas the Vikings had no such problems. =Now Onto the Battle= Notes *Battle will be 10 vs 10 with both warriors starting out on their transports (though see scenario below). Now you might think that the inclusion of the longship might mean its unfair numbers-wise considering that there are 16 rowers on the warship too but for the purposes of this simulation, they do not count as warriors. After all at some point, the Vikings are going to have to get off the ship and engage with the Mongols on land. *The battleground for this encounter will be neutral in make-up: there will be open fields so that the Mongols will be able to ride in with their horses but there will also be a river so that the Vikings can use their longship and a heavily forested area so the Vikings can utilise their ambush tactics. *Starting scenario positions: The Vikings will be scouting down the river looking for settlements to raid. The Mongols, having settled down and set up their yurts, see their enemy approach and thus prepare an ambush on horseback. Once the Vikings come close enough to inspect the campsite from their longship, the Mongols come out and the battle begins *Voting ends in 2 weeks (23/9) and standard voting rules apply: no short crappy votes that do not use edges or give good reasoning; proper use of spelling, grammar and punctuation; no bias. Simulation TBW Category:Blog posts